Today was the first ride since the Spooktacular ride. I wasn't sure what to expect. The weather was great! Sunny, a bit on the cool side, the wind was headed South East when I got out. I wore arms, knees, and head cap. I made it to the summit in good average time. I cruised the downhill. I put in a good dig on the first riser and a modest one going over the second riser. There was a cyclist ahead of me that appeared to be my equal or better. When I reached the bottom of the climb, I noticed that the cyclist kept going towards the freeway. I was tempted to see where he was headed. I decided to stick with the plan. I headed back without stopping. I ended up stopping at the Chavez Center to remove my knee warmers. After that, it was non-stop to the summit. The body was responding well. Perhaps a bit on the heavy side, but not too detracting. The landmarks went fast. By the time I reached the first dip, I was feeling better in the morale. Sometime between this one and the second dip, the cyclist that was ahead of me bridged. Apparently my better. He appeared to be older than me. Nevertheless, I continued as I was. After reaching the last few turns before the golden gate, I decided to put in a slightly higher tempo. I was near max going over the top. After reaching the summit, I was able to relax and make my way back home. Concentration was good. Few lapses. I was actively thinking most of the time. Balance and form was good. Gear worked perfect. Ailments, some hand numbness while out of the saddle for extended periods. Nutrition was good. I had about half my Gatorade and no water. other notes, there were some tourists at the Loop Monument when I was on my way back from Keene.